Means for controlling the cord of electric irons



April 23, 1935. w. F. 'DOWDEN MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE CORD OF ELECTRIC IRONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1954 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY A ril 23, 1935. w. F. DOWDEN 1,999,039

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE CORD OF ELECTRIC IRONS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1954 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES MEANS For.

CONTROLLING 'rnn oonn or nnnc'rmo IRONS ,Wllliam F. Dowden, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application March 19, 1934, Serial No. 716,338

3 Claims. (01. sis-cos) as service cord") and prevents the same from tangling, laying on the ironing board or from dressing across the clbthes when ironing.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an attachment for ironing boards which controls the service cord, which may be permanently fixed to the ironing board'and which is.

adaptable to be conveniently not use.

other object oi my invention is to provide simple and eflective means for holding the service cord in suspended position when ironing.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described, which permits the use of an electric sad iron within a considerle range without disturbing its electrical connections.

Other objects. of my invention are to provide a device oi the type specified which issimple in its construction and arrangement, durable and efficient in its use and inexpensive to manufacture.

To the accompl 9:. 1". ent of these and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists oi the novel construction, combination d arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying v 1 .Il. wherein are shown three embodiments oi the-invention, but it is to be understood that chances, variations and modifications may be resorted to which come within the scope oi the cla hereunto appended.

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specitlon, and wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: t

Figure 1 is a top view of the device, showing part of the cord support broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of Figure 1.

' Figure 4 is a top view of the base plate in a developed form.

Figure 5 is a front view of the'cord support.

Figure 6 is a top elevation of a modified form of the device with part of the cord support broken away. v I

Figure '7 is a side elevation of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is :1 ant elevation of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a top view of the base plate as shown in Figures 6, '7 and 8 inclusive in a developed form. .5

Figure 10 is a front view of the cord support folded back when as used in the modified construction illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

Figure his a sectional view along line I I in Figure 10.

Figure '12 is a top -view of Figure 10. .Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the device applied to ah ironing board and attached to' an electric outlet connection located at the base board of a room.

Figurel i is a front elevation of another modilit fled form. of the device, the cord support being partly broken away.

Figure 15 is a side view of Figure 1d, the twoplug receptacle omitted.

Figure 161s a top view of Figure 14. it

Figure 17 shows the base plate as illustrated in Figures 14. to 16 inclusive in a developed form.

Figure 18 is a front view of the cord support as used in connection'with the Figures it to 17 inclusive.

Figure 19 is a sectional view along line iti@ in Figure 18.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the de= vice comprises a clamp-base-plate i preferably made out of one piece of sheet material which, as

when blanked out, has the shape oi an i. as best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. The wide part 22 of said blank is bent along the two-dot and dash. lines to form a substantially U shaped clamp 3 which serves as a oping means when go the device is fastened to the edge t of an ironing board 5 by means oi a wing-bolt The narrow part i of said blank is bent/to form a hingeknuckle h for the reception of the pintle end t] of the cord support it.

The outer edge of the hinge knuckle t is pro-3 vided with two notches H and i2 (Figure 2) disposed. at an angle of 90 degrees which serve as a retainer for the cord support l3, the purpose of which will be described later. v 40 The said cord support 13 comprises a single piece of rigid wire, the lower end of which is bent to form a short pintle I, the upper end of which is bent to form two small loops I! placed apart as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

When assembling, the pintle end 9 of the cord support I3 is inserted into the hinge knuckle 8 with the upright part l6 of said cord support ii on the notched side of said hinge knuckle 8. A helical compression spring 11 is then slipped over 7 the free end of said pintle 9 and held in position by forming a head l8 as shown or any other suitable manner.

A two plug electric receptacle is centrally 55 mounted on the upper leg IQ of the clamp 3 and is held in position by means of a screw 20.

In practice, the operation of my device is as 1" follows:

The cord is then pinched between the gap 24 of the loop l5 of the cord support I3 and the plug is inserted into the electric iron 26 in the usual manner. A coiling device 21 (not detailed) such as for instance disclosed in Patent No. 1,790,666,

which is well known and obtainable in any five' and ten cent store or hardware store being attached to the service cord 22 to retain the same in a coiled condition, as indicated by the numer 28.

While ironing clothes, the coiled part of the cord is more or less expanded or closed, depending on the movement the electric iron travels.

Upon the completion of the ironing, the plug 25 is disconnected from the electric iron 28 and the cord support I3 is brought out of engagement of the notch H of hinge knuckle 8 (see Figure 3 in dot and dash lines) by taking hold and pulling "forward the pintle end part of the upright portion of cord support I 3, thereby com pressing the helical spring l'l. e said cord sup .port I3 is then swung 90 degrees towards the top 29 of the ironing board 5 to assume a position as shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 13. In that position (Figure'2 dot and dash lines) and when released, the pintle end 9of cord support 13 automatically engages in notch ll of hinge knuckle 8 by means of helical spring l1 and is held in that position. By placing the plug 25 directly underneath the upright portion of the cord support 13 as shown best in Figure 13 in dot and dash lines, the ironing board may now be stored away. If desired, the base board connecting cord 30 could be coiled around coil support i3 before storing ironing board.

In Figures 6 to 12 inclusive a somewhat modifled construction of cord control is-shown.

The device comprises a. flat base 3|, preferably punched out of a singlepiece of sheet material,

having a pair of struck out ears 32 which are provided with opposing apertures 33 to receive one of the legs 34 of the U shaped pintle end 35 of cord support 36. A coil spring .31 is placed on said leg 34 between the ears 82, one end. of said spring rests-on top'of leg 38 of pintle end 35 and the,

; ironing board by means of wood screws 44.

In operation, the device is manipulated in a similar manner as in the construction heretofore described, with the exception that the cord .support is held'in its operating position by a hook 39 which embraces. the lower portion at the "upright part of the cord support 36.

-' By releasing the said hook-39, the cord support automatically springs intoa position as shown in dot and dash lines in Figures 7 and 1e.

another modified form of my device is shown,

In this construction, it will be noted that no spring is employed, otherwise the device is of similar construction as the ones previously described.

The modified design of the device comprises a fiat base 46, preferably produced out of a single piece of sheet material, provided with a centrally positioned struck-out and vertically bent-up ear 4'! which has a. square aperture 48, as shown.

Directly opposite and in alignment with said ear 4l is an upright lug 48, formed integrally. with the edge of the base and bent upwardly along the dot andpdash line III, as shown in Figure 17. Said lug 49 is provided with a round aperture 5|, located slightly higher than the square aperture 48 of ear 41.

The upper part of said lug 48 merges into a top extension 52 and into a side extension ll, both of which are provided with a notched end 54. These extensions 52 and 53 are bent along the dot and dash lines marked 55, so as to assume a shape as shown in Figures 14 to 16 in- When assembling, the lower end 58 of cord 35 support 58 is inserted in round aperture 5| 0! end 59 of cord support 58 the same is held in that position.

\ After the ironing iscompleted, the cord support 58 is manually pulled out of engagement of square hole 48 of ear 41 (see Figure 14 in dot and dash lines), turned downwardly 90 degrees and pushed back into square hole 48. with the cord support in that position,,the device requires very little space and the ironing board can be stored away for future use.

I claim: Y

1. In a means for controlling the cord. of electric irons and the like, comprising a cord support and a base, said base being formed out of a single piece of sheet material and having a pair of upstanding bearing lugs, one of said bearing lugs being of less elevation than the other and both adapted to pivotally engage said cord support.

2. In a means for controlling the cord of elec- .tric irons and the like, a base; a cord support comprising ashort inclined pintle end, an upright and a horizontally disposed cord retainer provided with'a pair of loops adapted to hold said cord between their overlapping turns;- said base being formed out oi. a single piece ot'sheet material and provided with a pair of upstanding bearing lugs, each adapted to have abearing disposed at a different level and both adapted Referring now to Figures 14 to 19 inclusive, to pi v'otally engage said cord support and means 78' 3. In a means torcontrolling the cord of electric irons and the like,- a base: a cord support- 5 comprising a short inclined pintle end, an upright and a horizontally disposed cord retainer provided with a pair of loops adapted to hold said cord between their overlapping turns; said base being formed out of a single piece of sheet material and provided with a pair of upstanding bearing lugs, each adapted to have "a bearing disposed at a different level and both adapted to'pivotally engage said cord support, means for retaining said cord support in upright or foldedposltion, said means being integral with one 0! said bearing lugs.

WILLIAM F. nownrm. 

